Ever since the morning of August 5, 2003 - when he closed the chapter on 12 miserable months at Upton Park by pledging his allegiance to Mick McCarthy's Wearside revolution - Gary Breen (pictured right) has been steadfast in his refusal to discuss the issues which lurk behind the bleakest period of his professional career.

Maintaining a sober exterior, Sunderland's skipper has preceded countless interviews over the last two years with the declaration: "I am not talking about West Ham."

So it comes as a considerable surprise that, as Breen attempts to communicate his confidence in the Black Cats' ability to prove wrong those who expect the club's top-flight renaissance to be short-lived, he provides an unprompted indictment of his troubled time at the Boleyn Ground.

"The last time I played in the Premiership, I was part of a team which was full of quality," explained a player who, like his present employers, experienced the indignity of relegation two seasons ago.

"Everywhere you looked at West Ham there was a quality player. But we weren't a team and we were relegated as a result. That is something that won't happen at Sunderland. We won't fail because of that."

Joe Cole, Jermain Defoe, David James, Frederic Kanoute and Glen Johnson - talented individuals all - were part of the West Ham team which contested the Londoners' last fixture in top-flight football.

To the critics who have questioned a transfer policy which has, with the notable exception of Alan Stubbs, seen no player with a proven Premiership pedigree arrive at the Stadium of Light during a hectic close-season of 10 Sunderland signings, Breen is determined to stress that the solidarity which has been instilled by McCarthy will more than compensate for any shortage of star performers.

"Our supposed lack of quality has been well-documented," said a player approaching the new season in a mood of grim defiance.

"I have heard a lot of people talk about our lack of this and our lack of that.

"But we are a team, we have got a great work ethic and that will stand us in good stead. It's a massive factor." The perceived shortcomings of Sunderland's squad have, understandably, started to irk McCarthy of late.

"How many big-name players have we had here who have failed?

"There were a lot of them who were not doing particularly well when I first arrived," said a manager who axed some of Wearside's most-talented performers of recent times - the likes of Kevin Phillips, Thomas S?rensen and Claudio Reyna - during an unenviable first summer spent fighting fires.

Despite a high wage bill, the low points total with which the club crashed out of the top-flight provides an irrefutable argument.

The parallels with West Ham that year are obvious and, for all they will lack in Premiership know-how, McCarthy's men will not be lacking spirit this season.

Only time will tell whether or not endeavour alone will be sufficient to keep the club afloat. Having witnessed his manager's methods at first-hand for the last nine years, Breen's confidence is unshakeable.

"Team spirit is something Mick has worked on throughout his career," he said as McCarthy again outlined the satisfaction he takes from proving his doubters wrong.

"I played for him with Ireland and, although we were always the underdogs in international football, we beat the best teams in the world over a period of three or four years."

There has been a tangible sense of relief on Wearside this week that following a summer of anticipation - McCarthy last night described the pre-season campaign as a `phoney war' - the Premiership season will begin this afternoon.

No longer will the Black Cats find themselves speculating on how they might fare in top-flight circles.

The waiting is over, the kick-off fast approaching and, as Sunderland's players prepare to put their credentials to the test against Charlton this afternoon, Breen has issued his less experienced colleagues with some useful pointers.

"It (sharing his knowledge with his younger team-mates) has been addressed over the course of pre-season," said a player with an important role to play both on and off the pitch this season.

"They will all be aware that they are going to be playing against people they are more used to watching on television.

"But they all have to believe that they can be on a par with these people.

"They can't get starstruck - thinking they are going to be playing against their heroes.

"If anyone has that attitude going into the season, we will not have prepared them very well."

There is little danger of the 31-year-old - a veteran of six Premiership campaigns with Coventry - being in awe of imminent opponents. The defender has made it clear since arriving on Wearside that he did not envisage performing outside the top flight for long and he is relishing the chance to prove his top-flight class this term.

"I don't want to sound arrogant but I genuinely believe that, if you are not playing in the Premiership, you are just making the numbers up," added Breen, for whom the memories of Sunderland's narrow failure to win promotion 12 months ago will heighten his enjoyment of what lies ahead.

"I can still remember the hurt from that summer, when the fixture list was published and we were all looking at who Crystal Palace were going to be playing in the Premiership.